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The '''Bay of Pigs''' was the failed liberation landing on [[Cuba]] in April 1961. A group of over 1,500 Cuban patriots landed in the Bay of Pigs in the island of Cuba to liberate the nation from Castro's communist government. The idea was to repeat the same landing that Castro had done in the past.

The '''Bay of Pigs''' was the failed liberation landing on [[Cuba]] in April 1961. Under control of the American [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], a group of over 1,500 Cuban patriots landed in the Bay of Pigs<ref>"Bay of Pigs" is the English version of the Spanish name "Bahia de Cochinos;"  "Cochino" refers to a species of [[Triggerfish]] (Balistes vetula) [http://www.invemar.org.co/redcostera1/invemar/docs/Vol33/BIMC_33_03_Claro.pdf], rather than pigs [[Sus scrofa]].</ref> in the island of Cuba to liberate the nation from Castro's communist government. The idea was to repeat the same landing that Castro had done in the past.  The result was a triiumph for Communism and a worldwide humilation for the United States, which had planned, organized and financed the invasion but gave it too little support for success.

The planning for this liberation landing started during the [[Eisenhower]] presidency, but his term ended before it was put into action. President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] inherited the project and kept it going.  The landing occurred three months after Kennedy's inauguration.

The planning for this liberation landing started during the [[Eisenhower]] presidency, but his term ended before it was put into action. President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] inherited the project and ordered it into operation, while withdrawing critically essential Amwerican air support.  The landing occurred three months after Kennedy's inauguration.

In Miami, the [[CIA]] was organizing the new government comprised of already existing exile organizations. The training for the freedom fighters took place n in Guatemala.

In Miami, the CIA was organizing the new government comprised of already existing exile organizations. The training for the freedom fighters took place n in Guatemala.

The landing was hurried, a second pre-attack air strike was withheld. The idea was that the people in Cuba would join the fight against Castro once they learned about the liberation forces landing. The resistance in the Escambray mountains and else where was blocked by massive militia encirclement (see [[War Against the Bandits]]); mass arrests of the order of 300,000 disrupted anti-Castro urban resistance(details below).

The landing was hurried, a second pre-attack air strike was withheld. The idea was that the people in Cuba would join the fight against Castro once they learned about the liberation forces landing. The resistance in the Escambray mountains and else where was blocked by massive militia encirclement (see [[War Against the Bandits]]); mass arrests of the order of 300,000 disrupted anti-Castro urban resistance.

While militia and police were sacrificed in bloody charges, and died by the hundreds in burning buses along the swamp causeways, Castro quickly moved artillery and tanks (supplied by the [[Soviet Union]]) and planes (inherited from the previous regime) to the landing site. Although the Cuban patriots fought heroically and far more skillfully than the communist Cubans, the far greater  numbers of Castro government troops and loss of air cover to protect supply lines brought an end to the invasion. Kennedy, and his advisers lost confidence and forbade direct American intervention by US Navy carriers already in the area.  Within two days, over 100 of the anti-Castro Cubans were killed and over a thousand were captured.  Castro government troops had far greater losses a matter still veiled by the present Cuban government (see below).

While militia and police were sacrificed in bloody charges, and died by the hundreds in burning buses along the swamp causeways, Castro quickly moved artillery and tanks (supplied by the [[Soviet Union]]) and planes (inherited from the previous regime) to the landing site. Although the Cuban patriots fought heroically and far more skillfully than the communist Cubans, the far greater  numbers of Castro government troops and loss of air cover to protect supply lines brought an end to the invasion. Kennedy, and his advisers lost confidence and forbade direct American intervention by US Navy carriers already in the area.  Within two days, over 100 of the anti-Castro Cubans were killed and over a thousand were captured.  Castro government troops had far greater losses a matter still veiled by the present Cuban government (see below).

Time: April 15 - April 19, 1961

Time: April 15 - April 19, 1961

Place: [[Bay of Pigs]], South of Matanzas Province [[Cuba]]

Place: [[Bay of Pigs]], South of Matanzas Province Cuba

Result: Victory for the Castro leadership of Cuba  

Result: Victory for the Castro leadership of Cuba  

The 1961 '''Bay of Pigs Invasion''' (also known in Cuba as the '''Playa Girón''' after the beach in the [[Bay of Pigs]] where the landing took place) was an unsuccessful [[United States]]-planned and funded attempted invasion by armed [[Cuban exile]]s in southwest [[Cuba]]. An attempt to overthrow the government of [[Fidel Castro]], this action accelerated a rapid deterioration in [[Cuban-American relations]], worsened by the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] the following year.  The name Bay of Pigs comes from Bahia de Cochinos, where in all probability "Cochino" refers to a species of [[Triggerfish]] (Balistes vetula) [http://www.invemar.org.co/redcostera1/invemar/docs/Vol33/BIMC_33_03_Claro.pdf], rather than pigs [[Sus scrofa]].

The 1961 '''Bay of Pigs Invasion''' (also known in Cuba as the '''Playa Girón''' after the beach in the [[Bay of Pigs]] where the landing took place) was an unsuccessful United States-planned and funded attempted invasion by armed [[Cuban exile]]s in southwest Cuba. An attempt to overthrow the government of [[Fidel Castro]]. Failure of the operation embolded the Soviet Union to send nuclear missiles to Cuna in 1962 in the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]].   

==Background and preparation==

==Background and preparation==

Tensions between [[United States of America|the United States]] and [[Cuba]] had increased steadily since the [[Cuban Revolution]] of 1959. The [[Dwight Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] and [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] administrations had judged that Castro's policies, including the [[expropriation]] of US assets on the island and Cuba's increasing ties with the [[Soviet Union]], could not be tolerated.

Tensions between the United States] and [Cuba had increased steadily since the [[Cuban Revolution]] of 1959. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy judged that Castro's policies, including the [[expropriation]] of US assets on the island and Cuba's increasing ties with the [[Soviet Union]], could not be tolerated.

                                  

                                  

On March 17, 1960, the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] administration agreed to a recommendation from the CIA to equip and drill Cuban exiles for action against the new Castro government.<ref name="thousand"> ''A Thousand days:John F Kennedy in the White House'' [[Arthur Schlesinger Jr]] 1965 </ref> Eisenhower stated that it was the policy of the U.S. government to aid anti-Castro guerrilla forces. The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] began to recruit and train anti-Castro forces in the [[Sierra Madre de Chiapas|Sierra Madre]] mountains on the Pacific coast of [[Guatemala]].<ref name="thousand"/>  

On March 17, 1960, Eisenhower agreed to a recommendation from the CIA to equip and drill Cuban exiles for action against the new Castro government.<ref name="thousand"> ''A Thousand days:John F Kennedy in the White House'' [[Arthur Schlesinger Jr]] 1965 </ref> Eisenhower stated that it was the policy of the U.S. government to aid anti-Castro guerrilla forces. The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] began to recruit and train anti-Castro forces in the [[Sierra Madre de Chiapas|Sierra Madre]] mountains on the Pacific coast of [[Guatemala]].<ref name="thousand"/>  

The CIA was initially confident that it was capable of overthrowing Castro, having experience assisting in the overthrow of other foreign governments such as [[Iran|Iranian]] prime minister [[Mohammed Mossadegh]] in 1953 and [[Guatemala]]n president [[Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán]] in 1954.  [[Richard Mervin Bissell Jr.]], one of [[Allen Dulles]]'s three aides, was made director of "Operation Zapata."   

The CIA was initially confident that it was capable of overthrowing Castro, having experience assisting in the overthrow of other foreign governments such as [[Iran|Iranian]] prime minister [[Mohammed Mossadegh]] in 1953 and [[Guatemala]]n president [[Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán]] in 1954.  [[Richard Mervin Bissell Jr.]], one of [[Allen Dulles]]'s three aides, was made director of "Operation Zapata."